Oh, a trip to Paris would be so nice. Walking down the Champs Elysee, taking cheesy romantic pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower, stopping for a light lunch at a cafe…
Alas, airfare to France is not in the budget right now. But there’s surprisingly similar substitutes right here in our home of Pittsburgh. If you let your imagination take over, you may not even notice the difference.
I was enthralled with this post at Gone with the Family. It was the first place I learned about love locks, and she happened to find them all over Paris. Lovers write their names on a lock, hook it onto the bridge, and then throw the key into the rivers.
So I was very excited when I came upon our very own love lock bridge in Pittsburgh. While we don’t have a river beneath it (oh, irony of ironies,) this bridge in Schenley park near Phipp’s Conservatory (on Schenley Drive between the plaza and the conservatory) definitely gets the job done in the most Parisian of places: a beautiful park.
Market Square
Source
Have you noticed Market Square and other parts of downtown have seen an increase in outdoor dining areas? And extremely nice outdoor dining areas at that? This is no accident. Paris to Pittsburgh, an initiative funded by the Colcom foundation, provides business and property owners downtown with grants to make improvements to their building facades and outdoor dining areas. The result? A very Parisian dining experience; even if you’re eating Mexican. (More about the Paris to Pittsburgh program.)
Museums
I have never been to Pittsburgh! Looks pretty, though!
It truly is!
We have similar tastes! I love so many things about France…the food, language, architecture, outdoor cafes. Glad you found a taste of that in your hometown!
I am, too! My fiance hates all things French, but I think it’s more of a “thing” now that he does to mess with me. Because I didn’t hear him complaining at the museum.
Ok, I’m gonna have to add Pittsburgh to the list. I’ve been once but it was a quick in an out trip and I didn’t really get to explore.
You should! There’s so much to see!
This is the side of Pittsburgh you never hear about. Not sure I could convince the wifey for a vacation there but it sure looks like we would have a good time. Maybe I could use these pictures and say would you like to go here. And if she says yes book tickets…hmmmm that might be get in a little trouble though. Cafes and dining just what the wifey ordered.
We also have Broadway shows. The most, actually, second only to NYC itself. 🙂 I could sell her.
I visited Pittsburgh a few years ago and was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Very pretty city with a lot to do. I would definitely like to go back some day, though I have to say I still might choose Paris all things being equal!
Haha, I forgive you.
In the right frame of mind you can find Paris anywhere! 😉 That’s cool that the love locks have made it to Pittsburgh!
Thanks for the inspiration, Lisa!
Wow I had no idea you could find all that in Pittsburgh! Now I want to go!
You should!
Dad and I went to Habitat (in the new Fairmont) this weekend for date night, and while I drug him out to Point State Park for a walk, we stumbled through market square. That used to be a sketchy part of town! (OK, 10-15 years ago anyway…) It’s nice to see the city reviving with South Side Works and Market Square (and the Waterfront somewhat). Now that I know we can dine al fresco in Market Square, I’m likely to get reservations there next time we’re in the city!
Absolutely! I’m still a bit nervous about South Side at night; drunken idiots and the police station moved up to Arlington a couple of years ago hasn’t been a great combination, but SS Works is pretty nice relatively!
While sitting at the cafe, you need to be speaking French and sipping on a doll size cup of cappuccino, to get the true experience LOL.
LOL!
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